Independence ARMy

So if youre on instagram you know All about these fitness photo challenges…for the month of July I will be doing this one that was created by three awesome yogis from Instagram!
Now, of course I had to make up a couple days because I am starting late!

Here are days 1-3!

Day 1) Downward facing dog
Become an inverted V. Press the heels down towards the ground, chest reaches to the top of the thighs, and shoulders press firmly down the back and towards the tailbone.

Day 2) High plank
From downdog, push the hips forward and form a straight line from the heels to the crown of the head. Pull your bellybutton in towards the spine and keep your hips lifted.

Day 3) Chaturanga
From plank, with the crease at the elbows pointing out in front of you, bend at the elbows. Lower slowly until you form a 90 degree angle between the forearms and upper arms. Keep the elbows in towards your sides and the body in a straight line.

3 Day Refresh

WOW! I Have to share about this amazzzzing deal going on just incase the word hasnt reached you yet.

Beachbody may have outdone themselves!
What do you think when you hear the word “cleanse?”
I get uneasy and nervous that someones putting their body into starvation mode or severly lacking the necessary nutrients your body needs to function.
Or you might think of some hokey weight loss scheme thats just going to make you miserable and gain back any water weight lost during the cleanse.

Well Beachbody knows that! And it used that when making this brand new 3 Day Refresh.
The program is designed to aide in weight loss while kick-starting healthier eating habits in three days! It will do this by detoxifying and cleansing your system while helping you break bad eating habits. In just 3 days you’ll feel lighter and healthier, without starving.
That whole without starving thing is VERY important in my book.

Most cleanses are high in carbs (and sugar usually) and low in necessary fat and protein, right?!
Beachbody knows that, too, and lets you eat real food on the cleanse and makes sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need!
How?
Well a big component of this program is Shakeology!
So you basically get a killller deal on Shakeology when you get the refresh challenge pack, like SUCH a good deal!
It comes w a 30 day supply of shakeology, PLUS 3 individual packets, 6 packets of Vanilla Fresh Shake, and 3 packets of Fiber Sweep Drink that you drink during the 3 day refresh along with food.
So you’re not only getting the supply you need for the 3 days, but you’ll be all stocked up to continue your healthy journey with shakeology once the refresh is complete.

You’ll also receive a Program Guide. This comprehensive guide walks you through how this program works, what to expect, and how to prepare your shopping list, as well as your body, for the 3-Day Refresh. It also contains a menu planner with numerous delicious, easy-to-make recipes, along with lists of fruit, vegetable, healthy fat, and guilt-free flavoring options.
And we even throw in a FREE 30-Day Trial Membership in the Team Beachbody Club.

Enough Talk, lets the results speak for themselves:

To order the 3 day refresh:
Go to beachbodycoach.com/angelinafitness
Click “Shop”
Select the 3 Day Refresh Challenge Pack in the new window that opens! 🙂

WOAH Its been awhile!

Heya!

It’s been since January that I’ve made a post!
Wow!!!

SO much has happened since then! We got settled into our first house, I’m teaching even more fitness classes, and I got ENGAGED!!! YAY 😉

ALSO-just because its a new development, but I thought I’d share it here for any fitness-minded people or those trying to get back into fitness…BUT a new workout program called PiYo just came out for at-home workouts, and while I’m waiting for my program to arrive in the mail, I wanted to share a blog I’ve made on which I’ll be tracking my progress and providing daily information about the workouts for you!

The link is MyPiYoProgress Blog
I’d love for you to follow so you can get updates when the program actually starts 🙂
Here’s a video of WHAT IS PIYO until then!

Protein Pancakes

💡Found a way to enjoy my vanilla protein that tasted like crap!💩(I’m spoiled by my yummy morning Shakeology, i think!🍫🍨)

PROTEIN PANCAKES

Ingredients:
1/2 banana
1 egg white
1 whole egg
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 Tablespoon natural peanutbutter
A bunch of cinnamin

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a blender.
Pour onto hot pan/griddle and cook up your pancakes!
(And yes-that picture is what this ONE batch makes!😱My pancakes were on a very small plate, so I put the TJ bag behind, for some size comparison, but nonetheless, crapload of food!)

💪🍴💪🍴💪🍴💪🍴💪🍴

MACROS:
9g Fat
16g Carbs
2g Fiber
42g Protein

Mayo-free Deviled Eggs

I love eggs!🍳
So when having some people over, I wanted to make Deviled Eggs, but dont eat mayo.
Here are my mayo-free deviled eggs-Not dairy free, but as long as I’m not eating a bowl of straight-up yogurt, my stomach behaved itself for these👌

Ingredients:
10 Hard Boiled Eggs (or however many you want, and just change the other ingredients related to the number of eggs)
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
1 1/2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper, Paprika to make them pretty

Directions:
1. Cut hardboiled eggs in half lengthwise.
2. Pop out the yolk.
3. In a bowl combine yolks, yogurt, mustard, and salt & pepper.
4. Spoon combined mixture into eggs (you know how to do deviled eggs😉)
5. Sprinkle paprika on top.
6. Enjoy!!!

Turkey Meatballs

Want a recipe for some super easy-super nutritious meatballs?
Keep reading!👇

Ingredients:
1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey (or your choice of ground meat)
1 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (i used red)
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1 egg
Any spices you wish-i only added some salt and pepper so i can put with different sauces throughout the week
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Form into small balls (mine were about tablespoon-sized) and place on a cookiesheet lightly spritzed with olive oil spray.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins.
5. Enjoy!

Clean Sweet Potato Salad

I used to Love potato salad. But nowadays I don’t eat mayo or much white potato, and without those, I was thinking how the heck will I get a tasty potato salad?!

Here’s what i came up with…And I thought it was pretty tasty if I do say so myself 😉

Ingredients:
4 Sweet Potatoes, diced (I leave skin on always w sweet potatoes, but your choice)
4/5 slices Low Sodium Turkey Bacon
4 celery stalks, diced
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
3/4 of an avocado
1 T dijon mustard
Splash of orange juice (A Tablespoon or so)
Spices of your choosing (i used pepper and parsley)

Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water, place on stovetop and bring to a boil.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, place chopped up bacon in a pan and get it sizzling with the red onion.
3. When potatoes are cooked through, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
4. While cooling, make the dressing. Mash up the avocado, combine with mustard, orange juice, and spices.
5. Once potatoes are cooled, combine with bacon & onion mixture, and celery. Add dressing, mix to coat.
6. Keep cool in fridge, and enjoy!

Spinach & Bean Soup

Here’s a super simple soup recipe! (And super tasty!)

 

Ingredients:

-5 cups low sodium chicken broth

-2 cups tomato puree

-1 onion, diced

-2 cups Great Northern Beans

-3/4 cup dry rice

-1 package frozen spinach (or a crap load of fresh, or even kale would be Awesome!)

-Spices of your choosing (I chose parsely, black pepper, and italian seasonings)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for about 4-5 hrs.

2. Enjoy! (It really is that easy!)

 

Super Late Leg Challenge Exercises

WOW!!!
Whered September go?!?!
Here are some exercise ideas to throw extra Tabatas into your days!

9/26
Calf raises
Stand on the edge of a step/curb or flat on ground. Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in, the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step, and your heels hanging over the edge. Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so that you’re on your tiptoes.

Reverse Plank
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips. Press into your palms, and lift your hips and torso toward the ceiling. Look up to the ceiling, point your toes, and keep your arms and legs straight. Keep your entire body strong, and form a straight line from your head to your heels. Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine. If your hips sag or drop, lower yourself back to the floor.

9/27
Walking lunge with twist
Stand with feet about shoulder width apart. Hold a medicine ball (optional) in front of you with elbows bent about 90 degrees. You may want to begin this exercise with no weight and build up your strength over time. Step forward with your left foot into a lunge position. Be sure to keep your knee over your left foot; don’t twist at the knee. From your torso, twist your upper body to the left. Then, reach across your left side with your arms out-stretched. (Think of pointing to the left from your belly button). Maintain a slow and controlled movement throughout the exercise. Slowly move your arms to center and step forward with the opposite foot and twist to the other side.

Straight leg glute lift
Start on the ground, on all fours and lift one leg up bent at the knee. Now extend that leg straight out and point toe. Raise leg up toward the ceiling and back down, but never releasing the leg extension.

9/28
Diamond Jumps
Begin in a comfortable standing position with your knees slightly bent. Hold your hands in front of you, palms down with your fingertips together at chest height. Rapidly dip down into a quarter squat and immediately explode upward. Drive the knees out so the balls of your feet touch, making a diamond shape. Reach arms above head and touch palms together, making diamond shape. Jump as high as you can, raising your knees up, and then ensure a good land be re-extending your legs, absorbing impact through be allowing the knees to rebend.
Plank
Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.

9/29
Basketball jump shot
Stand feet shoulder width apart, knees bent. Jump straight up, arms moving like they are shooting a basketball. Land gently back in start position.

Deadlift
With feet flat beneath bar, squat down and grasp bar or dumbbell with shoulder width or slightly wider over hand or mixed grip. Lift weight by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if rounded. Return and repeat.

9/30
Calf Raise/Reverse Plank
Walking lunge w/ twist/Straight leg glute lift
Diamond Jump/Plank
Basketball jump shot/deadlift

Strong Leg Challenge

AH!!! Late late late😔
I let life get the best of me & ended up fairly “unplugged” from the social media world for the past couple days!
SO here are days 16-20…a little delayed.
Comment w any questions below!😃

9/16
Tabata 1: Squat Bicycle

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips. Squat, then stand and forcefully bring right leg across and in front of body, leading with heel, as if kicking a ball, left arm swinging in front, right arm behind. Return to start. Switch sides and repeat.

Tabata 2: Plank Tap Out & In

Start in plank position, hands under shoulders, core tight. Bring right leg out and to right of the body. Tap the floor with foot and return to plank position. Switch legs and repeat.
9/17

Tabata 1: Clock Lunge

Complete a traditional forward lunge, then take a big step to the right and lunge again. Finish off the semicircle with a backwards lunge, then return to standing.

Tabata 2: Prone walkout

Beginning on all fours with the core engaged, slowly walk the hands forward, staying on the toes but not moving them forward. Next, gradually walk the hands backwards to the starting position, maintain stability and balance.

9/18

Tabata 1: Jump Rope

Using a jump rope or imaginary rope, move feet as quick as you can off the ground.

Tabata 2: Wall Sit

Slowly slide your back down a wall until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Make sure the knees are directly above the ankles and keep the back straight.

9/19

Tabata 1: Curtsy Lunge

When lunging, step the left leg back behind the right, bending the knees and lowering the hips until the right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Remember to keep the torso upright and the hips square.

Tabata 2: Inchworm

Stand up tall with the legs straight, and do like Lil’ Jon and let those fingertips hit the floor. Keeping the legs straight (but not locked!), slowly lower the torso toward the floor, and then walk the hands forward. Once in a push-up position, start taking tiny steps so the feet meet the hands.

9/20

Tabata 1: Squat Bicycle

Tabata 2: Plank Tap Out & In

Tabata 3: Clock Lunge

Tabata 4: Prone walkout

Tabata 5: Jump Rope

Tabata 6: Wall Sit

Tabata 7: Curtsy Lunge

Tabata 8: Inchworm